Stewardship and Trust

“Life is not at all that bad, my friend. If you believe in yourself, if you believe there’s Someone Who walks through life with you…” So go the lyrics of a popular spiritual song. The message of the song is actually taken from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 11, verses 25-30. “…For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light…”

Trust in God is the theme of both the song and the Gospel. We trust that God will give us what we can carry. We trust that in God, no matter what our circumstances, we will find rest.

Trust is also a key component in a steward’s life. In the Filipino language, the word for steward is katiwala. Tiwala means “trust” while in the vernacular, the prefix ka always denotes some relationship – as seen in the words kapatid (sibling), kaibigan (friend), or even kaaway (enemy). Being a steward is therefore to have a relationship of trust between God and the steward. The ka can also be taken to mean kapwa tiwala or a relationship of mutual trust. We trust God. God trusts us. We trust God to look after us and all our needs, no matter what our circumstances. God trusts us with what with have – our resources, our talents, and even the challenges we face since “We know that in all things, God works for good with those who love Him, those whom He has called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 TEV).

Amidst the stress of daily life, it takes great effort to go from “crisis” to what “Christ sees.” But such is the test of true faith. “We demonstrate our faith by giving thanks before we see any results or before we receive any answer.” Rather than going by the world’s standards of “to see is to believe,” faith teaches us that “to believe is to see.”

So, as stewards, the challenge is to go from “crisis” to what “Christ sees” 24/7. Christ sees what you need. Be thankful. Christ sees what you do. Be responsible. Christ sees what you do with what you have in relation to others. Be generous.

In following Christ, the call is for us to aspire to be like Him. Thus, as we look to Christ to help us with our individual burdens, so must we bear one another’s burdens (or at the least, not add to the other’s burden!). “…Help carry one another’s burdens, and in this way, you will obey the law of Christ… So let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest. So then, as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone…” (Galatians 6: 2, 9-10)